Teaching PortfolioPaper 1: Topic Development
Paper 2: Writing in a Genre
In addition to six 2-3 page response papers, students completed two longer 3-5 page papers. The first of these papers was a topic development assignment. I occasionally encountered resistance to this paper because students either struggled to develop topics that they could then turn into rhetorically sound papers or because they were unsatisfied with the topics we narrowed down in class. However, students learned how to work within the restraints of unfavorable topics, or conversely, how to make challenging topics work for the assignments. The second paper allowed students much more freedom; not only were they allowed to choose their topics, but they were also allowed to choose the genre in which they would write about that topic. I found that many students' writing came alive in this latter assignment; students imagine a larger audience when they consider genre, and this results in more complex, descriptive, and ultimately effective writing and composing.
Personal Video Portrait Assignment
This was a student favorite and also served as a preface to the final project, which would require students to use the skills developed in this assignment. In this assignment, students are introduced to video editing and visual video rhetoric as they compose their own personal portraits using video, images, music, and/or text. They write a personal narrative to accompany their video, and reflect on the composition process. Many students enjoy this assignment because the skills are new and the product is tangible; I enjoy it because it gives me a chance to get to know my students on a more personal level and it unleashes their creativity.
Response 4: Visual Rhetoric Analysis
Response 5: Visual Rhetoric Revision Analysis
These two shorter response papers go together and build on concepts covered throughout the semester. The first calls on students to analyze an example of photography or advertising. Students examine and evaluate their selection using visual design analysis concepts such as alignment, contrast, proximity, and repetition. In the second assignment, students choose a visual text and edit it using photo editing software such as Photoshop or Fireworks. They then analyze the original text and their edited text in writing, examining how they changed the message of the text through revision of design elements. I enjoy using these two assignments together because they build on one another as well as on concepts from the readings, while simultaneously making students more aware of visual rhetoric, which is addressed in the final research project.
Final Research Project
This culminating project of the semester is a personal favorite. I designed this assignment in an effort to meld concepts covered within the class and to accomodate students' interests and feedback. Since so many students enjoy the video portrait assignment, this assignment is both motivating and challenging. Students choose a major research topic in groups and then break the topic down into perspectives. Each group member assumes a perspective and develops an 8-10 page argumentative research paper around that perspective. The groups then come back together and compose group videos that incorporate all three perspectives. Finally, groups present their final videos and explain their findings. The project is interesting because it requires students to simultaneously consider and analyze one side and all sides of an argument. It also incorporates an assessment of all concepts covered in the course: formal writing, visual rhetoric, advocacy, argument, and presentation.